Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot)

Tussilago farfara leaves

Leaf type: Heart-shaped, rounded, hoof-shaped
Leaf margin: Toothed
Phyllotaxis: Basal
Colour: Green
Life cycle: Perennial

Leaf (upper side)

leaves Tussilago farfara
The leaves of Tussilago farfara are rounded, heart-shaped, or hoof-shaped.
Tussilago farfara leaf
The leaf margin has tiny black “teeth.”
Tussilago farfara leaf veins
Even on older leaves, the leaf veins may be covered with a felt-like down.

Growth habit & biology

Tussilago farfara is a perennial plant with rounded, heart-shaped to hoof-shaped leaves arranged in a basal rosette. Depending on the location, the leaves can grow up to 30 centimetres wide and usually appear in spring only after the flowers.

Tussilago farfara growth habit in bloom
Coltsfoot in bloom in April.

Young leaves are also covered with a white, felt-like layer on their upper surfaces. On older leaves, this hairiness is found only on the leaf veins and the undersides of the leaves.

Tussilago farfara growth habit
The growth habit of Tussilago farfara in late summer.

The total height ranges from 5 to 20 centimeters. Faded shoots can reach up to 40 centimeters in height. The plant spreads via seeds and runners.

faded coltsfoot
Faded coltsfoot with ripe seeds.

Distribution & habitates

Its natural range encompasses most Asian and European countries and extends as far as North Africa. As a neophyte, Tussilago farfara is also reported to occur in some North American regions (source).

Tussilago by the wayside

Habitats include open woodlands, roadsides, gravel pits, construction sites, riverbanks, fields, and ditches.

wall lizard on coltsfoot
A young wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) is basking on a coltsfoot leaf.

Botany

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae) and is closely related to the ragworts.

coltsfoot Tussilago farfara